Fubara’s Decision to Protect Rivers Treasury from Wike, Reason for renewed Crisis — Peter Odili Breaks Silence

Former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili, has finally broken his long silence on the deepening political crisis rocking Rivers State, offering his most direct and forceful intervention yet in the bitter feud between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

In a statement issued on Friday, Odili declared that the ongoing political war in the state is fundamentally about money and control, insisting that Governor Fubara’s decision to protect Rivers State’s treasury from private interests is the real reason for the escalating confrontation.

According to Odili, governance is neither a personal inheritance nor a reward system for political loyalty, and public resources must never be deployed to finance individual ambitions. His remarks are widely seen as a pointed rebuttal to Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, whose once-solid alliance with Fubara has collapsed into open hostility, plunging Rivers State into a prolonged political standoff.

“Silence Mistaken for Fear”

Odili explained that his prolonged silence had been deliberately chosen in the interest of peace but had recently been misinterpreted by some political actors as weakness or fear. He said the time had come to speak clearly and put the record straight.

“When silence is repeatedly mistaken for fear, clarity becomes a duty,” the former governor stated. “I hear my name summoned into arguments driven more by anger than by truth. I am told I should be insulted for stating the obvious—that governance is not a personal inheritance, and that the resources of Rivers State do not exist to fund private ambitions.”

His intervention comes at a time when the political atmosphere in Rivers State remains tense, marked by a divided House of Assembly, legal battles, parallel political structures, and competing claims of legitimacy between rival factions loyal to Fubara and Wike.

Historical Context and Political Choices

Placing the current crisis within a broader historical and political framework, Odili reflected on leadership choices made by governors of his generation. He referenced his contemporaries, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that leaders respond differently to ambition, power, and destiny.

“I was a governor in the same political era as Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We all made our choices. Some contested for the highest office in the land; others waited for destiny to do the heavy lifting. History records these things without emotion,” Odili said.

The comment was interpreted by political observers as a subtle reminder that political relevance should not be enforced through coercion or perpetual dominance but earned through legacy and restraint.

Defence of Fubara’s Actions

At the core of Odili’s statement is a firm defence of Governor Fubara, whom he described as unfairly portrayed as hostile or rebellious. Odili rejected claims that the current governor had declared war on any individual or political camp.

“What I said, and what I stand by, is simple,” he stated. “Governor Siminalayi Fubara did not declare war on any individual. He merely chose to protect the treasury of the state. If that decision feels like hostility to anyone, perhaps the discomfort says more than any rebuttal ever could.”

Odili argued that the controversy surrounding Fubara’s leadership is less about governance failures and more about resistance to fiscal discipline and accountability.

Fiscal Reforms and Governance Gains

The former governor went further to defend the economic direction of the current administration, asserting that recent fiscal reforms have already begun to yield measurable benefits for Rivers State. He posed a series of rhetorical questions to critics of the Fubara government.

“Is it false that internally generated revenue has increased significantly since public funds were insulated from undue influence? Is it false that infrastructure is being executed without mortgaging the future of the state? Is it false that governance now prioritizes public value over personal estates?” Odili asked.

According to him, opposition to these reforms reflects a deeper discomfort with transparency and accountability rather than genuine concern for the people of Rivers State.

“If these facts offend, then truth itself has become the enemy,” he added.

Critique of Political Patronage

Odili also used the opportunity to criticise the culture of political patronage that, in his view, has distorted the purpose of governance in Nigeria. He insisted that leadership is a public trust, not an act of servitude to political godfathers or benefactors.

“I find it curious that defending fiscal discipline is interpreted as betrayal,” he said. “When I supported past administrations, I did so in the interest of stability, not servitude. An elder statesman does not endorse excess simply to remain relevant. Wisdom does not retire.”

This remark appeared to be a response to accusations that Odili had turned against Wike despite previously supporting his rise to power.

Wike’s Political Moves and Grassroots Tours

Odili’s comments come against the backdrop of intensified political activities by Wike across Rivers State. The former governor has embarked on a series of visits to local government areas, which his allies describe as “thank-you” or “appreciation” tours.

However, critics argue that the visits are thinly veiled attempts to consolidate grassroots influence and challenge the authority of the sitting governor, especially amid the unresolved crisis within the state legislature.

Odili warned against personalising power or exaggerating individual political influence, stressing that politics is a collective process rather than a personal miracle.

“As for personal claims of benefaction, politics is a relay, not a miracle,” he said. “No one rises alone, and no one sustains relevance by denying the ladder they climbed. Gratitude does not require silence in the face of excess.”

Reflection on His Own Legacy

Reflecting on his tenure as governor, Odili acknowledged that his administration was not without flaws but insisted that it was guided by restraint and institution-building rather than perpetual conflict.

“I did not govern perfectly. No one ever does,” he said. “But I governed with restraint, built institutions, and left legacies that did not depend on perpetual conflict to survive.”

Call for Peace and Restraint

As Rivers State continues to grapple with legislative paralysis, factional battles, and governance uncertainty, Odili called on all political actors to embrace calm, restraint, and maturity. He warned that prolonged political warfare could damage the state’s stability and development prospects.

“This state deserves peace. It deserves governance without siege mentality. It deserves leaders who know when to step back and allow progress to breathe,” he said.

Reaffirming his allegiance, the former governor concluded with a clear declaration of loyalty to the people rather than any political camp.

“I will always stand with Rivers people. I did yesterday. I do today. I will tomorrow. That, above all else, is my only loyalty.”

Odili’s intervention is expected to further shape the narrative around the Rivers political crisis, potentially emboldening Governor Fubara while deepening the ideological divide between advocates of fiscal discipline and defenders of entrenched political control in the oil-rich state.